Wilma victims start getting aid

Nearly two years after Hurricane Wilma struck South Florida, thousands of Broward County residents are starting to get a share of $22 million in federal aid.

Stalled by paperwork and other bureaucratic tie-ups, 24 Broward cities are starting to dole out the money to eligible hurricane victims who applied for help earlier this year.

"Some people may say it's too late, but I have faith in God. I'm grateful," said Katrina Johnson, a 36-year-old secretary who is one of 66 Lauderhill residents getting $15,000.

The federal government announced last year about $22 million would be available for Broward cities to help low-income Hurricane Wilma victims.

Cities spend money for local hurricane needs and are reimbursed by the federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Initiative program. The cities coordinated with the county and waited for the federal grant allocations to be divvied up.

Delays stemmed partly from a series of approvals between the federal government and the state, the state and Broward County and then the county and cities.

The county based allocations on the number of hurricane-damaged units and low-income residents in each city. Amounts ranged from $48,000 in Cooper City to $3.3 million in Davie.

Lauderhill is using its federal aid to help residents of Stonebridge Gardens, a 416-unit condo community whose residents remain displaced but who must continue paying mortgages, storage fees and special assessments, said Vincent Miller, the city's business and neighborhood enrichment manager.

The city is distributing one-time $15,000 checks, Miller said. It had considered a city-run rehabilitation program to help oversee grant money for Stonebridge. But the program didn't seem feasible because repairs could go beyond a 2009 deadline, when the city would lose access to the $1.5 million it received, Miller said.

"This is going to allow a lot of families to get caught up financially," Miller said.

Some cities are using part of their aid on hurricane-preparedness projects. For example, Coconut Creek and Coral Springs plan to buy electric generators for emergency shelters, said Yvette Lopez, a county community development specialist.

Lauderdale Lakes is using its $1.7 million share for home repairs and helping displaced residents buy new homes. The city is still taking applications, said Larry Tibbs, the city's finance director.

In Lauderhill, about a half-million dollars remains to be allocated, so eligible Stonebridge residents who didn't apply earlier this year will be able to apply at City Hall during November, Miller said.

Like other cities, Lauderhill is distributing its share of aid to Wilma victims whose income fell under "very low" and "low" federal income guidelines based on the number of people in each household, Miller said. The city agreed to give aid only to residents whose homes building inspectors deemed uninhabitable, Miller said.

Miller said Johnson met the guidelines because she earns about $28,000 annually and lives with her 19-year-old son, Jamal Raikes, who has been ill. She qualified under the "low" income category that is capped at $39,300.

Johnson recalled how Stonebridge was condemned in October 2005 and how she and her son moved into a Sunrise hotel, where she continues to live, paying a reduced monthly rate of $1,000. She kept her condo by hiring a bankruptcy attorney, and two-thirds of each of her paychecks goes toward paying hurricane-related expenses.

Because each city's schedule differs, residents who applied for money earlier this year must contact local city officials to find out their application status.

"This gives people some means to recover," Tibbs said. "It's going to be a dramatic effect."

Juan Ortega can be reached at jcortega@sun-sentinel.com or 954-572-2004.

INFORMATIONAL BOX:

It's not too late to apply for aid

Broward County officials encourage low-income victims whose homes are still damaged from Hurricane Wilma to check with their city governments to determine if they're eligible for federal aid. You can phone, visit or e-mail your local City Hall. Officials will tell you what documents are required.